1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to guidance systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to integrated guidance systems.
2. Related Art
Guidance systems were developed to guide an operator of a mechanical system that is capable of movement, such as, for example, a vehicle, in traveling along a desired path, whereas the guidance system alerts the operator when he deviates from the desired path (which is predefined) and provides the corrective action that the operator needs to perform to continue on the desired path. These guidance systems provide a variety of functions. Typically, the variety of functions is dependent on the number of different types of guidance components possessed by the guidance system. Some guidance systems are designed to be handheld by the operator while driving the vehicle. More importantly, each of these guidance systems generally is a collection of separate guidance components that are coupled together with cables. Moreover, while one guidance system may have two separate guidance components, another guidance system may have less or more of these separate guidance components.
In particular, guidance systems are widely being utilized in agriculture. Guidance systems provide agricultural equipment operators with precise, parallel swath guidance for driving straight rows or following curves during tasks such as, for example, field preparation, seeding, harvesting, product applications to the fields, and field mapping. Hence, improved productivity, improved yield, and improved safety are realized through use of guidance systems.
Unfortunately, guidance systems that are a collection of separate guidance components that are coupled together with cables and handheld guidance systems create several problems. The guidance systems that are a collection of separate guidance components that are coupled together with cables are prone to a variety of cable related problems (e.g., damage by accidental pulling of a cable, misplacement of a cable, incompatibility of cables, etc.) and can interfere with the operator's control of the agricultural equipment, such as, for example, a tractor, since the cab of the tractor is generally small. Moreover, handheld guidance systems distract the operator while driving the tractor since the operator has to look periodically at the handheld guidance system instead of looking in front of the tractor as it moves. Furthermore, these guidance systems provide a data input device that has a large number of buttons or keys that make it difficult for the operator to interact with these guidance systems as he drives the tractor.